UCF hopes to extend postseason when it faces Rhode Island in CBI Monday

Isaiah Sykes, who has settled for layups close to the basket… (Stephen M. Dowell, Orlando…)

March 20, 2011|By Iliana Limón, Orlando Sentinel

UCF freshman guard Isaiah Sykes' fielded about 50 phone calls from friends and family back in Detroit after arguably the best game of his young college career.

Sykes was active on defense without getting in foul trouble, finishing with nine points, six rebounds and two steals during the Knights' 69-54 win over St. Bonaventure last week in the first round of the College Basketball Invitational.

He was part of the biggest play of the night. He stole the ball and tossed it to UCF sophomore guard Marcus Jordan, who passed the ball behind his back to Sykes. Sykes, who has settled for layups close to the basket all season, brought his teammates and fans to their feet when he threw down a thunderous dunk in the face of a St. Bonaventure player. The sequence was feature on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.

"It felt good to get a little attention," said Sykes, who still grins while talking about the play. "It's good for our university and basketball program to get some attention."

The CBI doesn't command the same national respect as the NCAA Tournament, but it has done wonders for the Knights' confidence. The team is hoping to keep the momentum rolling when UCF (20-11) hosts Rhode Island (20-13) Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at UCF Arena, and the game will not be broadcast on television.

Tickets for the contest start at $5 and are available by visiting UCFAthletics.com or calling 407-823-1000. Fans who arrive by 6:30 p.m. will have the chance to enter a drawing for seats on the UCF extended bench, which normally cost $75 apiece.

When UCF coach Donnie Jones is asked about the value of the tournament, he points to the success of Virginia Commonwealth, last year's CBI champion that rolled to wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

"There's no knock on the CBI," UCF junior center Dwight McCombs said. "Anybody can play right now. You see all kinds of upsets in tournaments right now. If you're in the postseason, you're competing. Being one of the 40 teams still playing right now is huge."

UCF will need another big game from McCombs and the Knights' other post players when the team takes on Rhode Island. Delroy James, a 6-foot-8 forward Jones said he believes is capable of playing in the ACC, leads the Rams with 17.5 points per game. He recorded the school's first triple-double, racking up 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists during a 76-59 win over Miami-Ohio in the CBI last week. He is part of a long, lean and athletic Rhode Island lineup that plays pressure defense and thrives in transition.

The Knights-Rams matchup is a development opportunity UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble was willing to pay for, giving the CBI $35,000 for the right to host a first-round game and $50,000 for the right to host a second-round game. If UCF advances to semifinal and championship rounds, games will cost $75,000 apiece.

Jones said his young team has already shown tremendous improvement with seven extra practices. Sykes and McCombs have shown arguably the biggest improvement.

"It definitely gives us more confidence playing together," Sykes said. "We're all working hard, getting better. We don't want our season to end."